Dashboard Regions Weather Stations Radar Alerts Glossary
Contact About
Log In

Register for an account and never miss a forecast again!

Register

Avalanche Forecast

Archived

Jan 7th, 2026–Jan 8th, 2026

Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely.
Alpine
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches unlikely, human triggered possible.
Alpine
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.
Below Treeline
Natural avalanches possible, human triggered probable.

Regions

North Rockies, East Kakwa, Kakwa, Pine Pass, Tumbler.


Southwest winds and continued snow are building new wind slabs, be cautious as you transition into open terrain.

A persistent weak layer remains a concern in this region.

Confidence

Moderate

  • Uncertainty is due to the fact that persistent slabs are particularly difficult to forecast.

Avalanche Summary

Jan 4 to 7

  • No new avalanches reported.

Jan 3

  • Numerous natural slab avalanches up to size 2 were observed in Pine Pass out of steep south-facing alpine areas.

Dec 31

  • A very large naturally-triggered size 3.5 avalanche failed on the persistent weak layer.

Snowpack Summary

Up to 25 cm of recent snowfall has been blown into slabs in leeward alpine and treeline terrain by winds from variable directions.

A persistent weak layer formed in mid-December, consisting of a crust with weak facet and was the cause of a large natural avalanche cycle in the middle of last week. This layer is now buried 50 to 170 cm deep, depending on the aspect and wind loading.

In thin snowpack areas, faceted grains or depth hoar may exist at the base of the snowpack.

Weather Summary

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy. 5 to 10 cm of snow. 40 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -9 °C.

Thursday
Mix of sun and clouds. Up to 5 cm of snow. 40 km/h west ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -11 °C.

Friday
Mostly cloudy. 3 to 10 cm of snow. 50 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature -3 °C. Freezing level rising to 1400 m in the afternoon.

Saturday
Mix of sun and clouds. 1 to 3 mm of precipitation as snow or rain at treeline. 70 km/h southwest ridgetop wind. Treeline temperature 0 °C. Freezing level 1900 m.

More details can be found in the Mountain Weather Forecast.

Terrain and Travel Advice

  • Watch for newly formed and reactive wind slabs as you transition into wind-affected terrain.
  • Avoid steep, rocky, and wind-affected areas where triggering slabs is more likely.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Wind Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) formed by the wind. Wind typically transports snow from the upwind sides of terrain features and deposits snow on the downwind side. Wind slabs are often smooth and rounded and sometimes sound hollow, and can range from soft to hard. Wind slabs that form over a persistent weak layer (surface hoar, depth hoar, or near-surface facets) may be termed Persistent Slabs or may develop into Persistent Slabs.

Persistent Slabs

Persistent Slab avalanches are the release of a cohesive layer of snow (a slab) in the middle to upper snowpack, when the bond to an underlying persistent weak layer breaks. Persistent layers include: surface hoar, depth hoar, near-surface facets, or faceted snow. Persistent weak layers can continue to produce avalanches for days, weeks or even months, making them especially dangerous and tricky. As additional snow and wind events build a thicker slab on top of the persistent weak layer, this avalanche problem may develop into a Deep Persistent Slab.